Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ X. JAE ❆ ❆

"That's what you think!"

And Jae stands up from where he'd been crouching, ignoring Kumari's thin hands tugging at his vest desperately trying to get him to sit.

He was so upset, he was seething. He's exerting as much of his will power as he possibly can to not start seething like an animal.

How dare they how dare they. How dare they do this to Kumari...

How dare they do this to Jae.

His father had been right...

Tears are pricking in the corner of his eyes.

One word, one name, rings in Jae's head.

Sho.

He'd heard of him before and to think that Kumari, someone so kind and sweet, had parents who dealt with that sort of man, that bounty hunter scum...

He was reeling, it was as if the whole throne room was spinning. It all linked together just as he suspected it would. His father's disappearance, no records of the lost kingdom, the dwindling amount of magicians.

But he didn't understand what Kumari's grandmother had to do with it.

He knows he'll find out, one way or another, so none of this matters to him — none of his conspiracies, none of his research, none of his father's warnings. Nothing matters.

Nothing matters when he rises, Kumari rising with him, to bark at the King and Queen of Cevalon those four words that he knew would change everything, for better, or for worse.

"That's what you think!"

They turn to see him, two sets of brown eyes, too much like Kumari's eyes...

The King barks, "Kumari. I told you to stay in your room. And who is this intruder? Why are you with this, this... Riff-raff, this street rat!"

"He's not alone," comes someone else's voice, and Jae cheers inwardly when there's a scattering of bright golden light, revealing Chiro having been hiding in plain sight all along.

Invisibility... I need to learn that.

The Queen looks around the room with a relaxed gaze, "Are there any other ah, unexpected guests, we should know about?"

A quiet honk is the answer to her question. Jae sees out of the corner of his eye Kumari picking up Goldy and tucking her under her arm. She must've followed them down here.

"I think that's everyone. I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Bilmirsən nəcə!"

And Kumari shrinks back. Jae doesn't blame her, that's her father, and even Jae finds him fearsome.

But he'll be brave.

For her sake.

For the sake of the truth.

"Listen old man," Jae points a finger at him and the horrified gasp from Chiro and muffled giggles from Kumari is enough to tell him to go on with it. "Kumari's not some doll you can wind up and expect her to do what you want."

"I will ask you again, little boy," the King growls. "Who in BLAZES are you, and WHAT are you doing with MY DAUGHTER!"

"What are you doing with your daughter?" And Jae steps closer to the throne.

Knights flood in from the doors, many of them, all with weapons drawn.

"Is there a p-problem, my lord, m-my lady?" A brun knight asks, a distinct stutter to his voice, but he doesn't sound nervous. Confident as any other knight.